Meet our GERI Researchers | Dr Serene Nai

Dr Serene Nai is a Research Fellow at GERI. Her research interests focus on how social support affects well-being. She has engaged in research to understand how technology acceptance influences social support and well-being, and can serve as a support for caregiver quality of life. Serene holds a PhD in Psychology and is trained in quantitative methodology, particularly in longitudinal study designs.

In this series, we catch up with Dr Nai about her segue into ageing research and how seniors can still forge authentic connections in a digital future.   

How did you first get into research and subsequently, the study of ageing issues? 

I first got into research at the undergraduate level, when I was working for some professors as a research assistant. Going through data collection and participating in research designs was what got me really interested in research. With more experience, my professors gave me more opportunities to learn other aspects of research such as data analysis and study design. It was through these accumulated experiences that I decided on research as a career.

Studying ageing issues was not a deliberate choice. I was interested in studying the well-being of any population. However, through working with and learning more about older adults, I felt that the factors that contributed to older adults' well-being were somewhat different to that of the general population. These factors got me more interested in learning further about ageing-related issues, and how they would affect older adults.

What are you currently working on? 

I am engaged in a few projects. The most extensive project is the multi-site evaluation of the Geriatric Services Hub (GSH), which is a novel frailty service for community-dwelling older adults.

The GSH is piloted by five hospital sites in Singapore, and GERI is the appointed evaluator of the programme. The GERI team includes joint and adjunct faculty members from other organisations, as well as staff trained in qualitative and quantitative techniques in research.

Another project I am currently involved in is the evaluation of a new service for caregivers which aims to improve their quality of life, stress levels, and workload. For this project, we are collaborating with a government hospital and are involved in contributing to the study design as well as the evaluation. 

Your recent research has touched on the socio-emotional aspects of ageing, such as technology and older adults' well-being during COVID-19. Looking ahead to the future, how optimistic are you about whether our seniors can still remain authentically connected to society?

I feel that it is possible. However, more specific efforts by the community and familial units need to be in place to ease the process, in particular to ensure their connectedness via technology.

Technology is already becoming an indispensible part of our everyday life. While there are still options (e.g. banking, payments) that do not require technology, more and more places are removing the option of manual payments. More can be done to further encourage and guide older adults to use technology as part of their everyday lives. This will involve steps to tackle their fears and uncertainties towards technology, as well as provide them with opportunities to practice and apply these skills regularly.

For the community, perhaps measures can be introduced to enable more older adults to be able to access devices, such as donations for old mobile phones and data plans. As children and grandchildren, we should also be patient with our parents and grandparents if they approach us regarding the use of technology and devices. 

Why do you think your work at GERI is important and what kind of impact do you ultimately hope to create? 

I think that my work in GERI can be used to contribute to solutions that can improve the well-being of older adults and their caregivers. In particular, I hope that my work can have an impact on improving older adults’ acceptance of technology and improve their independence in using technology, to allow better communication with their friends and family.   

What do you like about working at GERI and what have been some memorable experiences so far? 

I enjoy the overall experience of working at GERI. My colleagues are very helpful, and are always eager to share their experiences and provide constructive feedback. Senior researchers are very willing to guide younger researchers to improve their research skills and grasp a better understanding of research in healthcare.

GERI has also provided me with many opportunities. For instance, I have presented my research findings at conference and seminar platforms, and participated (and won!) in the scientific competition at the Singapore Health and Biomedical Congress 2022. I have also been awarded a small grant, and was given the opportunity to design and take charge of a research project as the Principal Investigator. 

What are some personal interests and activities that you do in your spare time that help protect against functional decline? 

I enjoy reading novels, comics and watching dramas that are in the fantasy genre (e.g. Harry Potter) or historically-based. I have an active interest in reading Mandarin online novels to maintain my Mandarin reading proficiency. I also do play mobile app games that are cognitively stimulating.